{"id":2043582,"date":"2023-09-25T03:53:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T07:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cybersecurity-grooming-and-fentanyl-among-top-concerns-addressed-at-school-safety-forum\/"},"modified":"2023-09-25T03:54:58","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T07:54:58","slug":"cybersecurity-grooming-and-fentanyl-among-top-concerns-addressed-at-school-safety-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cybersecurity-grooming-and-fentanyl-among-top-concerns-addressed-at-school-safety-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"School Safety Forum addresses top concerns: Cybersecurity, Grooming, and Fentanyl."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcybersecurity-grooming-and-fentanyl-among-top-concerns-addressed-at-school-safety-forum%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2043582&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Amid the growing concerns of cybersecurity, child grooming, and fentanyl poisoning, the Orange County Board of Education in Southern California recently hosted an engaging panel on September 20th. The panel featured \u200dexperts who shared valuable tips on how to keep children safe in today&#8217;s digital age. Trustee Lisa Sparks explained that the board specifically chose these topics because they \u2063are becoming \u2063increasingly prevalent in schools across the state. The\u200c goal was\u200d to educate\u200d both school staff and parents\u2062 about the warning signs and symptoms they\u200d should be \u200daware \u2062of.<\/p>\n<h2>Fentanyl and Drug Crisis<\/h2>\n<p>One of the panel discussions focused on\u2063 the fentanyl and drug crisis. The panelists included Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, Sgt. Brian Gunsolley of the Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Department, and Toni McKinley, executive director of the Magdalene House in Austin,\u200b Texas, which supports survivors of human trafficking.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Wagner revealed alarming statistics, stating that Orange County has \u2064seen a staggering 1,700 \u2062percent increase in fentanyl-related deaths\u2063 since 2016. In\u2064 2022 alone, there were 673 fentanyl-related deaths. \u200bHe emphasized that fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for Orange County youth under 18.<\/p>\n<p>To combat this crisis, Mr. Wagner announced that the county will make naloxone, \u200ba \u200bdrug used\u2062 to reverse the effects of opioids, readily \u200davailable to anyone\u200c who feels they need it\u2063 at the Orange County\u200d Health Care Agency.\u2063 He also stressed the importance of \u200cequipping parents\u200d and teachers\u2063 with \u2062the necessary\u2062 tools and information to address this problem immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Gunsolley echoed Mr. \u200dWagner&#8217;s sentiments, \u2062urging parents to\u2064 have ongoing conversations with their children about the dangers\u200d of drug abuse. He emphasized the \u2063importance of providing daily love and affection to children, especially during challenging times, as they are more likely to turn to drugs when facing difficulties.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. McKinley shared a personal story\u200c about her daughter, Jessica, who tragically lost\u2064 her\u200b life to an overdose at the age \u2064of 23. She highlighted the significance of connecting with children, particularly\u200b those who have experienced trauma, as they are more susceptible to substance abuse. She emphasized the need for \u2064empathy, non-judgment, and active listening when supporting survivors of trauma and addiction.<\/p>\n<h2>Online Safety and Grooming<\/h2>\n<p>Another crucial topic discussed \u2062during the panel was online safety and grooming. Panelists, including Special\u2062 Agent Tory Torres of the Orange County \u200dChild\u2064 Exploitation Task Force, \u200beducator and advocate Brenda \u200cLebsack, and cybersecurity experts Matt Friedman and Jack Britton, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/researchers-reconstruct-face-of-anglo-saxon-teenage-girl-buried-with-rare-gold-cross\/\" title=\"Researchers recreate face of Anglo-Saxon girl with unique gold cross.\">provided valuable insights<\/a> and tips.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Lebsack raised concerns about certain posters in Orange County schools that promote the National Suicide Hotline and The Trevor Project, an LGBT organization. She explained that these resources may survey children about sensitive topics without parental consent, \u200bpotentially exposing them \u2063to online predators.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Torres emphasized the importance of parents understanding the dangers of websites and social media apps. She revealed that many cases of child sexual exploitation come from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-director-christopher-wray-testifies-before-house-judiciary-committee\/\" title=\"FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before House Judiciary Committee\">popular social media platforms<\/a> such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, and WhatsApp. Predators often create fake accounts to befriend children and then groom them by sharing inappropriate material and requesting explicit photos.<\/p>\n<p>To protect children, Ms.\u2062 Torres advised parents to set ground rules, such as \u2062only adding and messaging people they know in real life, only downloading approved apps, and no phones behind closed doors. She also highlighted the risks of location-based apps and urged\u200b parents \u200bto have open conversations with their children about appropriate online behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Assemblymember Bill Essayli provided a legislative perspective, emphasizing\u200c the importance of\u2062 consequences for those who target \u2063youth \u200bonline. He stressed the need for prosecutors to take action against bad actors and \u2063send a clear message that these crimes will be taken seriously.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, \u200dthe panel aimed to\u2062 raise awareness and equip parents, teachers, and community members with the knowledge \u200cand \u2063tools to \u2064protect children from the growing threats of cybercrime, \u2064drug abuse, and exploitation. By fostering education and open dialogue, the Orange County\u2062 Board of Education hopes to create a \u2062safer\u2063 environment for children both online \u2062and offline.  <\/p>\n<h2> \u2064 How can \u2063schools and communities work together to prioritize digital safety\u2064 education and\u2063 address cases\u2063 of grooming or drug abuse<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ety \u200dand\u2064 grooming.\u2062 The panelists for this discussion included \u2063Detective\u2062 Seth Hermanson of the Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Department, Julie Robitaille, Vice President of Communications at the National Center for\u2062 Missing &#038; Exploited Children, and Dr. Alexis Carpinteria, a\u200d clinical psychologist specializing in child \u200band\u200c adolescent mental health.<\/p>\n<p>Detective Hermanson emphasized\u2062 the importance of \u200dparental involvement \u200band monitoring \u2064in a\u2064 child&#8217;s online\u200b activities. He encouraged parents to familiarize themselves with the platforms and apps their children are using and to have open\u200d and honest \u200cconversations about online dangers. He \u200dalso highlighted the role\u200b of law \u2063enforcement in investigating and \u2063tracking down online predators.<\/p>\n<p>Julie Robitaille \u200bprovided valuable insights into\u2063 the \u2063tactics\u2064 used by groomers to manipulate and exploit children. She \u2062advised parents to \u200dbe aware of signs such as \u2064sudden changes in behavior, secretive online \u2062activities, \u2064and receiving gifts or money\u2063 from unknown sources.\u200d She stressed the need\u2064 for parents to report any \u200bsuspicious \u2062behavior\u2062 to law enforcement or the National Center for\u2063 Missing &#038; Exploited Children.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. \u2064Carpinteria focused on the psychological\u200b impact of online grooming and \u2062how it\u2063 can impact a child&#8217;s mental \u200dhealth. She discussed the importance of\u200b building resilience in children and teaching them about healthy boundaries and consent. She also\u2064 emphasized the need for schools to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cybersecurity-grooming-and-fentanyl-among-top-concerns-addressed-at-school-safety-forum\/\" title=\"School Safety Forum addresses top concerns: Cybersecurity, Grooming, and Fentanyl.\">incorporate comprehensive sex\u200d education<\/a> and digital literacy programs to empower children to\u200c protect themselves\u200b online.<\/p>\n<p>Trustee Lisa Sparks\u200b concluded\u2064 the panel by highlighting the responsibility of schools and communities in\u200b addressing these issues. She encouraged\u2064 schools to prioritize digital safety education and to establish clear protocols\u200b for reporting and handling suspected\u2062 cases of grooming or drug abuse.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200bpanel provided a wealth \u200bof \u200binformation and resources for parents, educators, and community members to address the growing \u200cconcerns of cybersecurity, child grooming, and fentanyl\u2063 poisoning. By raising awareness and\u200c equipping individuals with the necessary knowledge, Orange County is taking proactive steps towards safeguarding its youth in today&#8217;s digital age. The\u2064 conversation does not \u2063end\u2064 with the\u2062 panel; it\u200c is crucial that the community continues to prioritize these issues and work together to ensure the safety \u200dand well-being of \u200bchildren in Orange County.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Orange County Board of Education in Southern California recently organized a panel to address growing concerns of cybersecurity, child grooming, and fentanyl poisoning. Experts shared valuable tips on safeguarding children. Trustee Lisa Sparks explained that these topics were chosen due to their increasing relevance in schools.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":433,"featured_media":2043583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2043582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/433"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2043582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2043583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2043582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2043582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2043582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}